Flake ice making machine



w. E. MICHENER ETAL 2,986,902

FLAKE ICE MAKING MACHINE June 6, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet .1

Filed Aug. 27, 1959 w EEVENTORS Mae;

June 6, 1961 w. E. MICHENER ETAL 2,986,902

FLAKE ICE MAKING MACHINE Filed Aug. 27. 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS United States Patent 2,986,902 FLAKE ICE MAKING MACHINE William E. Michener and Robert J. Christiansen, Milwaukee, Wis., assignors to The Vilter Manufacturing Co., Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Filed Aug. 27, 1959, Ser. No. 836,511 2 Claims. (Cl. 62-298) This invention relates generally to improvements in the constmction and operation of mechanism for automatically producing flake ice; and the primary object of the invention is to provide a simple and eificient flake ice making machine which is continuously operable with minimum attention and interruption.

It has heretofore been proposed to produce flake ice for diverse commercial uses, in a machine comprising an upright hollow cylinder having an annular inner refrigerated surface upon which water was constantly deposited and congealed into an ice film, a rotor within the cylinder and having thereon revolving knives for disintegrating the film and causing the resulting ice flakes to gravitate through a supporting spider at the bottom of the cylinder which also carried a bearing for the lower end of the rotor shaft, and an annular non-rotatable and upwardly open gutter which was gyratable by an eccentric operable by the rotor shaft adjacent to its lower hearing for collecting excess water dripping from the freezing surface of the cylinder and for discharging this water laterally away from the path of the descending ice flakes.

While this prior machine was relatively satisfactory, some difliculty was encountered in preventing undesirable accumulation of solid ice deposits on lower portions of the cylinder and upon the gutter as well as within the spider, and considerable loss of time was also encountered due to periodic removal of this solid ice and the fact that the lower bearing for the rotor shaft of the prior unit was not readily accessible for inspection without removing the entire spider or the rotor.

It is therefore an important specific object of the present invention to provide various improvements in flake ice making machines of the above defined type, which will obviate all of the prior difiiculties and will enhance the capacity thereof by avoiding excessive delays due to removal of objectionable solid ice deposits and by also avoiding necessity of dismantling bulky parts in order to remove and inspect the lower bearing.

Some of the more important improvements constituting the present invention are as follows:

The provision of an upright scraper blade carried by the rotor and coacting with the lower end portion of the freezing surface of the cylinder beneath the flake ice producing knives of the rotor, for preventing the formation of solid ice accumulations at this locality.

The provision of a horizontal scraper blade also carried by the rotor and projecting outwardly beyond the freezing surface of the cylinder and entirely across and beyond the lower end of the refrigerant confining jacket which cools this surface, in order to prevent accumulation of solid ice beneath this jacket. 7

The annular formation and simplification of the excess water collecting gutter and the provision of a separate tubular water discharge spout for the liquid deposited within this gutter, whereby the machining of the gutter is facilitated and the liquid receiving chamber communicating with the spout may be located outwardly beyond the lower supporting spider of the machine while spillage of water from within the gutter is also eliminated.

The formation of the lower supporting spider with an annular outer wall through which theliquid discharge tube of the gutter is reciprocable during gyration of this gutter and the separation of the liquid collecting cham- Patented June 6, 1961 her from the spider, whereby machining of the spider is also facilitated and a sturdier support for the unit results.

The provision of a heater coacting with the outer annular wall of the spider for preventing undesirable accumulation of solid ice therein.

The provision of a downwardly removable lower bearing for the lower end of the rotor shaft and which is detachably secured to the spider, whereby access to this bearing is made possible without removing the rotor or the spider.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description, and a clear conception of a typical embodiment of the improvementsin a commercial machine may be had by referring to the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification in which like reference char acteristics designate the same or similar parts in the various views.

FIG. 1 is approximately a central vertical section through a typical flake ice making machine constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the upper water supply and distribution trough of the machine, with a portion broken away to show the flake ice producing knives and the knife actuating rotor;

FIG. 3 is a horizontal transverse section through the machine taken along the line 3--3 of FIG. 1 with the cover of the excess water receiving chamber removed; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary vertical section through the freezing jacket and water distributor, taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 2.

The gist of this invention is to provide means for simplit'ying and facilitating the construction and improving the operation of vertical flake ice making machines of the type wherein a rotor carries a series of revolving knives for disintegrating and removing ice flakes from within an annular upright freezing surface from which the flakes gravitate through a lower supporting spider while excess water deposited upon the freezing surface is collected and delivered away from the path of descent of the flakes by a 'gyratory upwardly open horizontal gutter, and the improvements involved relate primarily to the lower structure of such machines and to the forma tion of this structure so as to avoid undesirable accumulations of solid ice and to permit ready machining and assembly or dismantling of parts thereof.

Referring to the drawings, the typical flake ice making machine shown therein, comprises in general, an upright hollow cylinder having an internal annular Wall 7 surrounded by a refrigerant confining jacket 8, and which is supported upon a stationary spider having an outer annular wall9 connected to an inner central hub 10 by ribs 11; a rotor disposed centrally within the cylinder and having an upright driving shaft 12 mounted in upper and lower anti-friction bearings 13, 1'4 and having-a radial knife sup port 15 on one side of the shaft provided with a series of horizontally revolvable knives 16 movable in close proximity to the inner jacket wall surface .17 while the diametrically opposite side of the shaft 12 is provided with an upper radial arm 18; an upper annular water supply trough 19 carried by the support 15 and arm 18 and having therein series of orifices 20 and a relatively large outlet provided with a depending nozzle 21 for spraying water upon the inner surface of the jacket wall 7; a non-rotatable and upwardly open annular drip-catch gutter 22 mounted upon and an excess-water collecting chamber 25 located outwardly beyond the spider wall 9 and in open communication with the outer end of the tube 24.

The cylinder jacket 8 is provided with a lower liquid refrigerant inlet 27 and with an upper gaseous refrigerant outlet 28 for maintaining the. freezing surface 17 in sufliciently cold condition to constantly congeal water spray deposited thereon, and the jacket 8 is embraced by insulation 29 confined between lower and upper plates 30, 31, see FIG. 1. The lowermost end of the inner wall 7 projects below the lower plate 30 and this plate is supported upon the outer annular wall 9 of thebottom spider which may be mounted upon a suitable foundation 32 having a flake ice delivery opening therein in open communication with the spaces between the spider arms 11, and the upper plate 31 provides a support for a cover plate 33 in which the upper shaft bearing 13 is mountedand which also serves as a mounting base for a suitable rotor propelling motor, not shown, but which may be drivingly attached to the shaft 12 by avcoupling member 34.

The bottom spider comprising the annular outer wall 9 and the central hub 10 connected to the outer wall by the radial arms 11 is preferably of sturdy one-piece construction as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3, and the lower rotor shaft bearing 14 coacts with a stub shaft 36 mounted within a downwardly removable bearing support 37 which is confined within but is detachable from the spider hub 10 by means ofcap-screws 38. The bearing 14 may thus be disposed closely adjacent to the eccentric 23, but may be conveniently removed for inspection by merely releasing the cap screws 38 and lowering the support 37, and when this is done the coupling member 34 secured to the upper end of the rotor shaft 12 will coact with the upper bearing 13 and will thus prevent the rotor from dropping out of place while the lower bearing is removed.

The ice film disintegrating knives 16 may be arranged in groups detachably secured to the actuating support 15 of the rotor by bolts 40,- and these knives 16 are revolvable in horizontal planes in close proximity to the annular freezing surface 17 of the jacket 8, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The annular upwardly open water supply trough 19 which is carried by the knife support 15 and arm 18 should be constantly provided with fresh Water through a pipe 41, and the water delivered from this trough 19 through the orifices 20 and the nozzle 21 is sprayed uniformly upon the inner freezing surface 17 rearwardly of the advancing knives 16 so as to constantly produce a film of ice upon this surface which is converted into flakes by the splitting action of the revolving knives. Excess water delivered from the trough 19 beyond that required to produce the ice film, flows from the lower end of the surface 17 and is deposited within the gutter 22 at a point remote from the knives, and in order to properlyguide such excess water toward the gutter the rotor may also be provided with an arcuate shield 42 suspended from the trough 19 and which is revolvable with the knives 16, see FIGS. 2 and 4. i

The upwardly open gutter 22 is prevented from rotating by the outwardly projecting excess water discharge tube 24, but is supported upon and is gyratable by the eccentric 23 so as to constantly maintainthe open portion of this gutter which is farthest from the knives 16 directly beneath the lower edge of the freezing surface 17 and to simultaneously maintain the open gutter portion directly below theknives outwardly beyond this surface edge-so that the ice flakes removed by the knives 16 will-drop freely through the spaces between the spider arms 11, as shown in FIG. 1. The eccentric 23 is drivingly attachedto and is revolvable by thevrotor shaft 12 closely adjacent to the lower bearing 14, and the annular gutter 22 rests upon a bottom flange on the eccentric and is thus suspended in horizontal position. I

In order to prevent formation of solid ice atthe lower end of the surface 17, the knife support 15 of the rotor is provided with an L-shaped scraper assembly comprising an upright scraper blade 45 which travels along and in substantial contact with this lower surface portion and;

deposits scrapings with the ice flakes removed by the knives through the spider. And in order to complete this scraper assembly and to prevent excessive solid ice formations along the lowermost depending end of the wall 7 and upon the lower plate 30 beneath the freezing jacket 8, a horizontal scraper 46 secured to the rotor and substantially spanning and riding along the lower surface of the plate 30, and which drops removed scrapings into the gutter'22, is also provided, see FIG. 1.

The excess water discharge tube 24 communicates with and is rigidly attached to a local pocket 48 formed in the gutter 22, and extends outwardly through a side opening in the annular spider wall 9 and through an alined opening in the water collecting chamber 25. A flexible sealing ring 49 may be provided Where the tube 24 enters the chamber 25 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, and this chamber is preferably formed separate and spaced from the spider wall 9 in order to permit a blanket heater 50 of the electrically energized type to be applied about the wall 9 in order to prevent solid ice from accumulating thereon. The interior of the chamber 25 may also be provided with a float controlled valve 51 and with an overflow pipe 52 for permitting excess water to escape and be returned to the trough 19 if so desired, and this chamber may also be provided with a removable cover 53, thus completing the machine.

When the improved flake ice making unit has been constructed and assembled as above described, its operation is as follows. Fresh water may be deposited within the trough 19 through the pipe 41 and when the rotor is driven through the coupling 34 the revolving trough will deiiverwater spray against the inner annular surface 17 of the upright cylinder and the knives 16 and scrapers 45, 46 will also be revolved about the central axis of the propelling shaft 12. Refrigerant should then be circulated through the jacket 8 to cause a film of ice to constantly congeal upon the freezing surface 17, and as the sharp knives 16 advance horizontally through this film they disintegrate the same into flakes which drop through the open spaces between the radial arms of the gutter 22 and of the supporting spider and are discharged through the opening in the foundation 32 and collected in suitable receptacles.

In order to insure constant production of a continuous film, it is desirable to supply excess water to the freezing surface17, and this excess water tends to form solid ice accumulations at the lower end of the surface 17 and along. the cold bottom surface of the lower plate 30, but such objectionable accumulation is prevented by the revolving scrapers 45, 46 which constantly advance along these surfaces. The scraper 45 deposits removed scrapings withthe flake ice, while the scraper 46 likewise deposits scrapings removed thereby into the open gutter 22- into which excess liquid delivered from the freez'ingzone is also deposited and from which the excess waterescapes through the tube 24 into the chamber 25. The revolving eccentric 23 gyrates the upwardly open gutter 22 in a manner whereby the excess water drops into this gutter while relatively few, if any, ice flakes enter the same, and the tube 24 prevents the gutter from rotating'but-reciprocates within the sealing washer 49 during gyration of the gutter 22. The heating pad 50 may also be energizedto heat the spider wall 9 in order to prevent solid ice from forming upon this wall, so that objectionable solid ice accumulations are effectively prevented;

The'unit may thus be automatically operated without interruption or attention to continuously produce relatively dry ice flakes, and excess water delivered into the chamben'25 by the gutter 22 and tube 24 may be returned to the trough 1-9 inorder to conserve onthe use of water. Since theeccentric 23 which supports and gyrates therelatively large gutter 22,,exerts considerable inward pressure upon the lower rotor shaft bearing14,

it is desirztble'Ltci occasipnally inspect this bearing and the fact that the lower bearing 14 is conveniently downwardly removable Without removing the rotor, greatly facilitates such inspection. The one-piece annular construction of both the lower spider and the gutter 22, also facilitates machining of these parts, and the formation of the water collecting chamber 25 separate from the supporting spider simplifies the structure and permits a heating blanket 50 to be readily applied to the annular wall 9 of the support. The construction of the gutter 22 with a liquid collecting pocket 48 and a large discharge tube 24 secured thereto adjacent to and communicating with this pocket, and which tube also serves to prevent rotation of the gutter 22, moreover prevents undesirable accumulation of ice in the outlet portion of the gutter by producing a constant flushing action at this outlet. The entire structure is of durable and simple construction, and has proven highly successful in actual commercial use.

It should be understood that it is not desired to limit this invention to the exact details of construction of the flake ice machines herein specially shown and described, for obvious modifications within the scope of the appended claims may occur to persons skilled in the art.

We claim:

1. In a flake ice making machine, an upright jacket mounted and supported upon a bottom spider and having a refrigerated annular inner freezing surface, a rotor assemblage having an upright propelling shaft disposed centrally within said jacket and also having means for depositing water onto said surface and a series of revolvable knives for removing congealed water from the surface and for delivering flake ice through said spider, an upper end bearing for said shaft supported from said jacket, and a lower end bearing for said shaft having a support downwardly removably attached to said spider, said lower bearing being removable with its support from said spider for inspection without displacing either the spider or said jacket and upper bearing, and the latter being formed to maintain said rotor assemblage suspended while the lower bearing and its support are removed.

2. In a flake ice making machine, an upright jacket mounted and supported upon the annular bounding wall of a bottom spider and having a refrigerated annular inner freezing surface, a rotor assemblage having an upright propelling shaft disposed centrally within said jacket and also having means for depositing water onto said surface and a series of revolvable knives for removing congealed water from the surface and for delivering flake ice through said spider, an annular non-rotatable gutter disposed beneath said surface and being gyratable by said shaft through an eccentric and formed to catch excess water drippings from said surface, said gutter having an annular peripheral bounding wall and a separate water discharge tube extending outwardly through an opening in said spider wall, and an excess water collecting receptacle formed independently of and located outwardly beyond said spider in open communication with said gutter through said tube, said receptacle being sealingly cooperable with the exterior of said tube to prevent rotation of the gutter.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,677,942 Schott May 11, 1954 2,758,451 Lauterbach Aug. 14, 1956 2,836,967 Kocher June 3, 1958 

